


Carry On

by lizlopo



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Fights, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Running Away, Swearing, Violence, incredibles au?? kinda, jisungs a dog for a little while, obviously bc there are fight scenes, story mainly centers around minsung but the others are there quite a lot too, that sounds bad IT’S PART OF HIS POWERS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-06-26 01:56:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15653397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizlopo/pseuds/lizlopo
Summary: In a world where superheroes are illegal, a secret group of young supers known as "SKZ" band together to fight crime underground. Despite always being careful to not get caught, one night featuring a close call with the police leads a member named Jisung to go missing. The group has to put in all their best efforts to find this superhero before it's too late.On the same night Jisung disappeared, Lee Minho finds an injured beagle on his doorstep and decides to take it in.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! welcome to my first skz fic... i have not written a serious fic in YEARS but i got the inspiration suddenly and decided it'd be a shame not to act on it! as u can see by the summary, it is incredibles inspired in the fact that superheroes are illegal but supers are still secretly working. yes i saw the incredibles 2. yes i loved it. if there are any superhero names that already exist, i am very sorry but i tried to make my own so if it just so happens that great minds think alike, then oops!
> 
> i want to thank my lovely friend group, celeb four, for helping me with the ideas for this fic and beta-ing it for me. where would i be without them??
> 
> updates should.. should... come weekly.. i might get pretty busy once school and sports start but i'll try to write chapters in advance for that! also, this first chapter is more of a prologue than a whole chapter but i still hope u enjoy it nonetheless. :)

The beginning of Minho's new life all started with that god damn dog that showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night.

Well, scratch that. It technically started when he was baby, back when they had first passed the law that made superheroes illegal.

Despite the initial shock of the law, it was actually a long time in the making. Superheroes had been fighting crime for nearly a century, but a rift between them and the cities they were trying to protect kept growing. Constant heavy battles resulted in costly destruction; there were only so many buildings that could be destroyed, ground that could be ripped up, and families that would have to be relocated due to losing their homes that the government could take. There was also always the issue of saving someone who did not want to be saved. Even though superheroes always had everyone's best interest in mind, their chaotic fights were resulting in more and more civilian lives lost and property damaged. The breaking point was reached when a superhero almost destroyed the capital of the United States. After that, the hammer was brought down and the country made superheroes illegal. Many countries followed suit, and soon enough, supers were banned in all countries across the world.

With an act following the banishment of superheroes that eased them into normal lives by providing them with new identities and jobs, it seemed like supers were finally gone for good. Any crime that would happen from then on out would be dealt with solely by the police and government. If anyone was to act out and use their superpowers, they would be exiled and face life in prison in an unknown location. Even though there were a few people who defied the system, it seemed like every last trace of supers had vanished off the planet. 

At least, that's what people thought.

In reality, there was a secret group of supers located in Seoul, South Korea, that were very much still active in their community.

They called themselves SKZ. Originally, it stood for "Stray Kids", but after a member named Thunderbolt joked about it standing for "Super Kidz", the new meaning for the acronym kind of stuck. They consisted of eight boys, both teenagers and young adults, with superpowers that had always made them different from other kids. SKZ had banded together through their mutual desire to help others and keep the superhero spirit alive.

Working underground meant having to make clever use of not only their powers, but other resources, such as the members' personal contacts and modern technology. It meant working in the dark of the night and being as quiet as possible. It meant forsaking the prize of adoration from those they saved for the quiet satisfaction of hearing the news. 

However, it also meant sacrificing a large majority of their normal lives that they had grown accustomed to and devoting it to their work. The members had to completely give up their childhood and personal time in order to be a part of the group. For most of the members, this was not a problem. But for one in particular, it was becoming the end of the line.

Han Jisung, known by his superhero name, Shifter, was one of the original members of the group alongside Chan, also known as C.B., and Changbin, who had taken the name Night Warrior. They were some of the only members who knew each other's real identities. They had grown up together in a joint house of supers that was sloppily thrown together by the government. SKZ was an idea that they had created from the start of their friendship, and through hard work and careful networking, they were able to bring it into fruition. 

Jisung considered himself one of the most dedicated members, and he was sure the others would agree. However, there was something pulling at the back of his mind that was slowly but surely causing him to distance himself from his members. There was a feeling he would get watching people around him at school live peacefully, a gnawing in his heart that would pop up watching movies and television shows featuring "normal" people. Maybe it was because all he had ever known was to hide himself, but he was beginning to get so tired of concealing his identity day and night and not getting to ever taste what it was like to truly not have powers.

However, Jisung never acted out on all the pent up frustration and burning hunger to not be a superhero. Instead, the opportunity seemed to come to him one night. The same night Minho found a beagle on his doorstep.

Standing to the right of Night Warrior and Thunderbolt, Jisung was preparing himself to initiate the plan to stop a group of robbers who were in the process of raiding a jewelry store. There was a similar robbery being conducted at a jewelry store on the other side of the district they were in, which led Chan to believe that there was a group of criminals trying to mastermind a massive heist. The other members were at the other store, and Woojin, their oldest member, was right around the corner in case any of them needed his healing.

Jisung glanced over at Night Warrior, who gave a quick nod under his mask, indicating it was time to get into action. Jisung shifted into a dog to carry out the first phase of their usual plan: distraction. He trotted into the store through the opening in the back the robbers had created in the form of a beagle and barked a couple times to get their attention. Sure enough, all four heads swiveled around to locate the source of the noise.

"What the-" one of the robbers began, while another one instantly shot at Jisung's dog form.

"Dude, what are you doing? It's a dog!" another robber yelled out from across the store, angrily storming towards the robber who had shot at Jisung. He had abandoned his current project of collecting as much loot as he could. The one guarding one of the entrances had also turned his attention away, leaving room for Thunderbolt and Night Warrior to sneak in.

"I got startled!"

"By a bark?"

"Well, look at it this way! The barking would've gotten people's attention!"

"And you think a gunshot won't?"

Luckily, Jisung's supersuit was bullet resistant, thanks to Changbin's genius designs, and always adjusted itself to fit whatever form Jisung was in. In his dog form, it was hidden under his fur, so the shot did hit him but nothing came from it. Still, trying to fool the robbers, he laid down and began to whine miserably.

"Oh, now look what you did, it's making even more noise!"

"Then I'll just put it out of its misery."

"Jesus christ... You're a monster, dude."

The robber walked over to Jisung's fake pitiful position and put the cold barrel against Jisung's back. Jisung, in a split second, rolled over and shifted one of his arms into a human one, grabbing at the robber's ankle and pulling his feet from out under him. The other robbers let out shocked and concerned yells. The gun fired wildly, a bullet shooting off and hitting a display case, shattering it and initiating the alarm system. In no time, the police would be at the shop to arrest the criminals.

Phase two was now implemented. Since all of the robbers had been watching what was going down between Jisung and the one who shot him, Night Warrior and Thunderbolt had gotten themselves into good positions to attack. Jisung shifted back to his human form quickly and threw a heavy foot down onto the robber who had attacked him, causing a tremendous cough and a spatter of blood to fly from his mouth.

An attacker was about to fire another shot at Jisung when Thunderbolt sped by him and snatched the gun right of his hand, running back around to knock the butt of the gun onto his head. At the same time, Night Warrior was fighting the thief who had been put in charge of the entrance as well as another robber. They were clearly more experienced in combat than the others, and he was struggling a bit. He had taken a punch directly to the face and another to the gut, which probably hurt the robber more than it hurt him. From across the room, Thunderbolt shot a jolt of electricity at one of them, only harmful enough to stun someone, causing his body to shake before sinking to the floor. The other attacker recoiled at the sudden zap, giving Night Warrior leeway to deliver a final blow to his cheek that sent him to the ground as well.

Since all the criminals were down, it was time to enact the final part of the plan, which always left the supers feeling a little empty: tie them up and leave them for the police. 

Night Warrior glared at Thunderbolt, who had walked over to help him tie up the two robbers. "I had that under control, you know," Night Warrior grumbled, a pout on his lips that didn't match his current attire of a black supersuit that was made to look like armor. 

Thunderbolt rolled his eyes from under his orange mask that matched his hair. "Sure you did, and I was just speeding up the process because the police are probably two blocks away right now." As if on cue, the sound of distant sirens caused the three supers to flinch and hasten their movements.

Jisung bent down to pull rope out of the boot of his supersuit when the robber he had kicked suddenly threw his eyes open and headbutted him in the head, causing him to instantly retract and give the attacker room to bring him down. A punch to his abdomen knocked the wind out of him before he was able to defend himself, and Thunderbolt quickly stopped the fight with another quick zap. However, the resistance had taken up precious time, and the red and blue lights could be seen dancing their way across the buildings outside. 

"Shit," Night Warrior cursed, quickly standing up without looking at his haphazard tying job. "We have to go."

"But we're not done," Thunderbolt said, gesturing to the robbers still laying on the ground who hadn't been tied yet.

"The police are here, idiot. We need to go." Night Warrior grabbed Thunderbolt's arm and yanked him up, dragging him to the exit despite his protests when suddenly they both halted dead in their tracks. They shared a horrified look. 

"Shifter," they both gasped in union, immediately spinning around to search for their other member. They had last seen him trying to stand onto his feet after being hit, but that was seconds before they had noticed that the police were getting too close for comfort.

Shifter was nowhere to be found as police busted in, immediately pointing their guns and yelling at the two supers who looked like deer caught in headlights. To Night Warrior's dismay, Thunderbolt latched himself onto his arm and started to sprint at his super speed. The whole time, Night Warrior screamed about how they had to go back, how they had to find Shifter, how they couldn't just let him be taken like that. His protests went deaf to Thunderbolt's ears, and they found themselves at Woojin's hideout a block away, panting and distressed as they knocked on the door of the apartment he was stationed in. 

Woojin opened the door with a smile on his face. "I heard police! Does that mean--" He cut himself off after taking in the supers' distraught and frantic appearances. "Wait, what happened?" It didn't take him a moment longer to notice the absence of their friends. "Where's Shifter?"

"We don't know," Thunderbolt choked out, which earned a shoved from Night Warrior.

"We could've looked longer if it wasn't for you!" he shouted, shoving a finger in Thunderbolt's face.

Thunderbolt looked offended, narrowing his eyes. "Excuse me? The police were already there, Night! We didn't have time!"

"You run ten times faster than a normal human! We always have time!"

"Guys, please, get inside," Woojin tried to interject, but their argument continued.

"We didn't even see him. He probably already got out. Are we forgetting that he can transform into anything?"

"Why did we take that risk? Why didn't we look a second longer? What if he was lying on the ground somewhere, out cold?"

"We didn't see him!"

"That doesn't matter!"

"Guys!" Woojin raised his voice, and the fighting heads turned to him, stunned at the abnormal tone in his voice. "We will figure this out inside. The police are right down the street. Get in."

Night Warrior threw Thunderbolt one last dirty look before stepping inside. Thunderbolt followed suit, and Woojin slammed the door shut behind them.

If they had only stayed outside a minute longer, they would've seen a familiar beagle dragging itself along the street, huffing as it tried to get away from the chaos that was due to ensue. In his exhaustion, Jisung was able to shift back into the last form he was in, which was the beagle, as soon as he saw the lights. Since he saw Thunderbolt and Night Warrior leave, he figured it was okay if he departed as well, and slowly limped out of the store just as the police pulled up, ducking into the shadows of the night in his inconspicuous form. However, the punch to his stomach had really taken a toll on him, and shifting before he was fully healed meant that the injury would stick with him as long as he was in this form. He could only heal if he was in the form he had originally been harmed in.

In his wounded state, he found it was getting harder and harder to keep moving across the empty and dark street. However, if that wasn't bad enough, he was also finding it a challenge to remember where Woojin's hideout was. He thought it was on the left, but the houses on the right also kind of looked familiar. Was Woojin in the brown buildings or the gray ones? Nothing was making sense anymore. 

Eventually, he could barely force himself to move. He knew he was going to pass out on the middle of the sidewalk if he kept trudging on meaninglessly like this, so in a move that was most definitely ill-advised, he turned to the closest house to him. There was a chance it was Woojin's, but even if it wasn't, he could at least rest in someone's house peacefully. He walked into the yard of a small condo on his right, and as he made his way up the cobblestone path and concrete stairs, he felt himself slipping out of consciousness.

With one last burst of energy, he gave a few quick but loud scratches to the door and barked two times before his legs gave out from under him and he laid on his side, lowly whining to try to still get attention.

It took a couple minutes of constant whining for the door to swing open and for Jisung's ears to twitch in the direction of the sound, his head unable to turn to whoever resided in the condo.

"Hello?" A sleep-slicked voice called out, and with a small whine from Jisung, a gasp left the owner of the voice's lips and he felt feet shuffle behind him.

"Oh, hey little guy!" A light hand came to rest on Jisung's back, the pressure too sudden, causing Jisung to kick his leg out in shock. This was a poor decision, and it sent ache all throughout his body, initiating another dreadful whine.

The hand, belonging to a man, pet him slowly, the voice cooing at him and trying to calm him down. "There, there, little buddy. Who do you belong to? Where did you come from?" A hand ruffled around the fur of his neck, probably looking for some sort of identification. "No collar... But you seem to be injured. Where are you hurt?" Hands felt around his little body, presumably looking for any sign of injury, and Jisung let out a yelp when the man came in contact with the area he had been punched in. The man clicked his tongue, withdrawing his hand and instead scooping Jisung's tiny body into his arms.

"I'm too tired to be making good decisions right now, but this seems like the right thing to do," the man mumbled, lifting Jisung up, giving Jisung access to finally see his face. He seemed to be young, no older than 20, and had big, brown eyes and short black hair. A light smile was on his lips, and he whispered, "You can stay here until we find your owner and get you better," to Jisung before closing the door to his apartment and letting the beagle into his life, not knowing the chain of reactions the split second decision was about to set off. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please refer to the notes at the end of last chapter if you get confused/lost about their superhero names! i promise soon i will be able to use all of their real names. <3

The walk back to the base was tense for Woojin, Night Warrior, and Thunderbolt. The three had decided quickly that it was best to get back to the others before they made any rash decisions and argued further. Because traveling on the streets was not an option due to the surrounding police, they had to use the underground tunnel system that supers frequented during the golden days of protecting the city.

Luckily, the apartment Woojin used as a hideout was built with the sole purpose to connect to these tunnels. After moving a fake plant and revealing a trap door, the three supers jumped down into the tunnels that had been abandoned for a long time. Night Warrior reached his hand up and came down with a ball of light, illuminating the way for them to continue on the journey.

They trudged on side by side in dead silence. The events that had happened only a few minutes ago were sinking in, and none of them really knew how to digest it. SKZ had never considered what would happen if one of them disappeared on a mission. There wasn't even a protocol for it; C.B., their leader, had always stressed the importance of being incredibly careful and keeping an eye on each other. Now, one of the most vital members of the team was possibly in the possession of the police, and the two members that last saw him couldn't agree on how to deal with it. Night Warrior wouldn't stop blaming Thunderbolt, and Thunderbolt refused to look at the situation from Night Warrior's point of view.

After what felt like a lifetime of silence and navigation through winding tunnels, the trio finally approached the metal door that led to the homeroom of the base SKZ used. Woojin stepped forward and placed his palm on the scanner next to the door. After a second, a beep sounded and the door began to slowly slide open, revealing a brightly lit bunker in the shape of a circle.

The walls were made out of concrete and there were three other visible exits to the room, each leading to a different section of the base. The space was plain with minimal furniture. In the middle of the room was a black round table that was used for meetings, nine chairs for every member surrounding it. There was a television mounted on one wall of the room and a large computer screen that went from the floor to the ceiling and curved with the shape on the opposite side. Sitting in front of this computer screen, which was broadcasting footage from hacked security cameras outside of the jewelry stores they were just at, was C.B. His black curls moved with his head as he whipped around at the sound of the door opening.

C.B. sighed in relief, rising from the seat and walking towards them with a hand clutched over his heart. "I saw that the police were swarming the area and I was so worried that you guys didn't get out of there in time." He paused, taking in the fact that there were only three supers in front of him. "Um, where's Shifter?" He craned his head to see if he could find the absent super in the tunnels. "Is he taking his sweet time getting here again?"

Woojin tried to speak first as he knew what would happen if the other two got to open their mouths. "He didn't-"

"Ask Thunderbolt," Night Warrior said louder than Woojin, and the mentioned male visibly tensed up his shoulders. "After all, he's the reason he's not here!"

"Oh my god," Thunderbolt groaned. "This is going to get old really fast. Look, Shifter didn't leave with us but that doesn't mean he didn't get out at all!"

"We didn't see him leave, but you just assumed he did. It was a chance we shouldn't have taken."

"What do you mean he didn't leave with you?" C.B. asked slowly, his eyebrows furrowing together. C.B. opted to not wear a mask in the base, something about trusting him more if he exposed some of his identity, and therefore it was easy to see the concerned expression etched into his skin.

"The police came-" Woojin started, but he was once again cut off.

"Thunderbolt grabbed my arm and sprinted off at the speed of light!" Night Warrior barked. C.B. blinked in shock, his eyes meeting Thunderbolt's.

"I can't go that fast," Thunderbolt muttered, eyes dropping to the ground.

"Wait, okay, can we just-" C.B. squeezed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. After he deep breath, he gritted out, "Start from the beginning and explain what happened. Calmly."

"Gladly," Night Warrior plastered a fake smile on his face, pushing back Thunderbolt with one arm, earning a swat to the shoulder. "We ran through the basics: Ji-Shifter distracts, we attack, we leave. We had the situation mostly under control, but one of the guys caught Shifter by surprise and the last I remember was seeing him struggling to get to his feet. Then the police showed up, so we made for the exit, but we realized Shifter was not following us. Then, Thunderbolt decided to just take off-"

"Can you tell this story without blaming me?" Thunderbolt shouted from behind Night Warrior, exasperated. Night Warrior spun around to him. C.B. took a step forward to interfere, but Woojin gave him the look that he knew meant it was best if he didn't step in. For now.

"Maybe you don't get it because you're new, but we're a family here. And as such, we don't just leave other family members behind. All of us or none of us, that's our motto." Night Warrior jabbed a finger in Thunderbolt's chest, which was promptly smacked away.

"C.B.," Thunderbolt called out, looking past Night Warrior's shoulder. "As a leader, would you have thought that Shifter, who can take on any shape he wants, could've possibly escaped once he heard the sirens, and left once you realized this fact to avoid getting arrested? OR would you have looked for Shifter, probably in vain, and risked getting caught by the police and exiled to a life in prison on some random island in the Atlantic?"

"I think that question is a little... directing..." C.B. nervously laughed before he realized that the two arguing supers were actually expecting an answer out of him. His eyes darted between the two of them before they landed on Woojin's blank, unimpressed face. "As a leader, I think... you should ask Woojin!"

Woojin scoffed and crossed his arms. "The question was not directed at me so I'm not answering it."

"Well, as a leader, I directed it to you."

"No," Night Warrior cut in as Woojin opened his mouth to retort, once again cutting off the annoyed man. "He's being a good leader and not picking sides. But I'm sure if he was there, he would've thought rationally in that moment and made sure, just for a second, that his fellow superhero was okay. Maybe this doesn't hurt that much to you, but I grew up with Shifter." Night Warrior was full on ranting right now. "He was there for me when no one else was, and I tried to do the same for him. I pledged to never leave him alone; C.B. did the same! But now, for the first time, we are returning from a mission without a member. We don't know where he is or what state he is in. And you're just... okay with that? Do you have any heart at all? Any brain at all? Or did growing up all by yourself get rid of your common sense and your ability to feel empathy for others?"

That was the last straw. Thunderbolt was quiet for a second before electricity flashed behind his eyes and the light above his head sparked. It seemed like a storm was swirling around in his irises, and Night Warrior stammered back a couple steps, threatened. It didn't take long for the initial fear to wear off before he stuck his right arm out and, with a flash of blinding light, summoned the sword that was as long as half of his body. The blade glowed under the fluorescent lights, and Night Warrior drew the sword back over his head, ready to attack Thunderbolt.

"Hey! What did we say about using swords inside?" C.B. shouted, surging forward to stop the downwards swing by grabbing Night Warrior's bicep, an aggravated grunt escaping from the halted super's lips.

Thunderbolt raised an unimpressed eyebrow and, without breaking eye contact, gripped onto the wrist holding the sword, sending a visible shock of electricity through Night Warrior's body. He cried out and stumbled backwards, running into the iron wall that was C.B. and dropping his sword in the process.

"And what did we say about shocking our friends?" C.B. growled, and Woojin finally decided to intervene and placed a hand on Thunderbolt's shoulder, pulling him back and away from Night Warrior.

Suddenly, the sword shot across the room as if it was being dragged, and sure enough, Invisiboy appeared a few seconds later. His black hair was matted down against his forehead, probably from the strenuous mission they had earlier, and he flashed a sheepish smile full of braces.

"I took care of that problem, C.B.," he grinned, pretending to dust off his hands triumphantly.

C.B. groaned in irritation at the new presence in the room. "Invisiboy, I told you to go home."

"I didn't want to! Besides, I have no school tomorrow!" he practically cheered, glancing in the direction of Night Warrior and Thunderbolt and tilting his head to the side. "Hey, where's Shifter?"

The door next to the computer screen creaked open and two new supers stepped into the room. The taller of the two, who had his arm around the other and was bearing the weight of his slumped body, sighed dramatically as all eyes looked at him.

"Is Thunderbolt angry? Because the light in our room sparked." Sunspot had an unimpressed tone as he took in the scene before him: C.B. had both of his arms wrapped around Night Warrior, who was still recovering from the jolt he received; Woojin was holding Thunderbolt back, but was quick to let go of him after seeing the state of the injured super in front of him; and Invisiboy was standing in front of Night Warrior's sword, waving excitedly to his two best friends. "Oh. I see we are just having another family meeting."

"Why does no one listen to me?" C.B. griped, looking and sounding pitiful. "Sunspot, I told you to make sure Oceanic rests. Dragging him out of bed is not resting. That is the opposite of resting."

Woojin was already at Oceanic's side and Sunspot was helping him gently shift his weight over to Woojin. "Well, if Thunderbolt was back in town, that meant Woojin was too."

"What happened?" Woojin asked. His arm was around Oceanic's shoulders while Sunspot's remained around his waist, the two supporting his weakened body. Oceanic had enough energy to direct Woojin's hand to his abdomen covered in his dark blue supersuit. He squeezed his eyes in discomfort as Woojin's hand glowed blue, indicating that the healing process was happening.

"One of the robbers was apparently a super," Sunspot explained, running his free hand through Oceanic's dark hair consolingly. "Oceanic was the first to find out. I think the guy sent a rocket into his stomach. I don't know, it all happened so fast. I could barely track his movements."

"Track his movements... Wait, can't we check his tracker?" C.B. suddenly blurted out. Everyone but Woojin, including Night Warrior who was still in his arms, turned to look at him. "Shifter's?"

"Why would we need to check Shifter's tracker?" Sunspot narrowed his eyebrows.

"What tracker?" Night Warrior's question came out as an annoyed groan.

C.B. finally released his grip on him. "Didn't you put trackers in everyone's suits? I know you mentioned Invisiboy had one."

"You put a tracker in my suit?!" Invisiboy practically screamed, a betrayed look on his face.

"Your superpower is invisibility. We lose you sometimes!" Night Warrior rolled his eyes and Invisiboy sulked by himself. "No, he doesn't have a tracker. Although I'm thinking I should install one in everyone's suits now for times like these."

"That would've been useful beforehand," Thunderbolt grumbled from his secluded spot in the room, finally calmed down.

The room became silent after that and a thick tension filled the air. "It seems we missed something," Sunspot pursed his lips.

Night Warrior let out a humorless laugh. "Something, alright."

\-----

Jisung languidly blinked his eyes open, the bright morning sun infiltrating his vision. It took him a few seconds to realize that something was cooking. It smelled like bacon, or maybe it was sausage. Either of them sounded good at the moment. He furrowed deeper under his blanket, warm and content on whatever plush bed he had been laying on.

And that's when it hit him. This bed was not familiar and neither was the scent. His eyes shot open and he realized he wasn't on a bed at all; he was on a couch, and instead of arms he had two outstretched paws. 

The events from the previous night all unfolded in his mind at once: the mission, the robbers, the punch to his gut, and the man with big eyes who picked him up and let him into his house. That must be who was cooking whatever that wonderful smell was.

Jisung decided he had two options: he could try and leave, but that would be difficult considering he was stuck in beagle form until he shifted back into a human, or he could accept his fate and stay for breakfast. On one hand, it was best if he escaped and made his way back to the base as soon as possible because his members were probably worried sick about him. If the police didn't see him flee, that meant there was a good chance Thunderbolt and Night Warrior didn't either. On the other hand, he was pretty hungry...

A growl ripped from his stomach at that moment and he figured that was enough of a decision for him. Maybe he could stay for a little while longer. He was sure his host wouldn't mind.

He tried to break from his comfortable position on whatever he was laying on but it felt like there was a dull weight in the area he got attacked in. It felt nearly impossible to move. He whined in frustration and suddenly a hand was on his head, comforting him. He reacted instantly, calming down and allowing his eyes to flutter shut again.

"Goodmorning, Mr. Beagle," the man murmured, and Jisung craned his neck to take a look at him. He seemed a lot brighter compared to when Jisung last saw him in the middle of the night, his lips pulled into a pleasant smile and his hair styled neatly with a small part on the side. He was in a dress shirt and black pants, and the hand that wasn't petting Jisung was bearing a cup of coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

He pulled his hand away and took a sip from his coffee, pleasantly sighing after the drink. "I hope you're feeling better today. No one has come looking for you yet, but I'm sure if you have owners they're worried sick. I already made a post about you on the neighborhood Facebook wall, so hopefully we can get you back home by the end of the day."

 _Back home._ Jisung wasn't sure if SKZ were the type of people to check community Facebook walls.

"Oh, one second!" The man retreated into another room and Jisung turned his head to the window the light was pouring in from. He stared out into the front lawn and saw the path he had traveled up last night to get to where he was now. The buildings were a lot more recognizable in the daytime; he was sure he could find Woojin's apartment if he went back to look again.

The man returned with a plate full of sausage and Jisung perked up instantly, his tail visibly wagging underneath the blanket. He barely jumped to his feet in excitement before the pain in his abdomen made him sink back down again. The plate was placed on the armrest in front of Jisung and he began to happily eat the bitesize pieces that had been carefully cut up for him. The man pet his head again, scratching behind his ears with a fond smile on his face.

"I hope this can tide you over until I get back from work." He checked his watch and let out a surprised yelp. "Speaking of which, I'm gonna be late! Uh..." He picked up a remote from the table next to the couch and turned the television on, which opened to Netflix. He clicked on the account with the name "Minho" and put on some nature documentary that had been in his recent viewings. "Do you like wolves? You have to, right? They're like... your ancestors." He looked at his watch again. "Shit. Okay. Um, stay! Stay!" Jisung blinked at his attempt at commanding him. "Good boy. I'll be home in a few hours."

The man - Minho - put down the remote and picked up his keys which were also on the table. With one last look at Jisung, he went out the door. Jisung heard the telling click of the lock and stopped digging into his sausage momentarily to watch Minho make his way down the pathway from his house with a slight jog. He turned left before disappearing completely, which meant he was probably headed to the subway station to catch a train to his job. 

Jisung took this time alone to look around the small condo he had spent the last few hours sleeping in. For the most part, it was minimally decorated. It had a high ceiling with white walls and carpet and a few pictures of what looked to be Minho and family or friends hanging on the wall above the television. It seemed like Minho was fan of plants, and although Jisung couldn't tell if they were real or fake, tiny pots were scattered across any flat surface that was available. There was an archway which Jisung could tell led to the kitchen and another door which probably led to Minho's bedroom. Despite sharing a wall with someone else, the only sound Jisung could hear was the light classical music that was playing in the background of the nature documentary.

Jisung knew he could take this alone time to shift back into a human and properly heal. He could go to Woojin's apartment, use the tunnels, and return to SKZ's base safe and sound. He knew his members were probably in distress and it made him feel sick thinking about it, but something in him wouldn't allow him to shift back into his human form. Maybe it was the pent up feelings of loneliness that being a super brought him, or maybe it was the overwhelming amount of stress he bore working secretly. Whatever was in his subconscious that was stopping him, he was consenting to it. 

This was his chance to get away from it all, even if it was just for a day or two. This was his opportunity to not have Changbin and Chan watching his every move as the youngest of the three of them. He wouldn't have to risk his entire existence any time in the next few hours if he just stayed on this couch and waited for Minho to come back. He wouldn't have to feel like he was suffocating under the burden of his secret life. 

Instead of turning back into a human, walking out that door, and going back to his normal life that wasn't so normal, Jisung decided to take another bite of sausage. He snuggled back into the blanket and directed his attention to the slightly boring documentary about wolves Minho had put on for him.

Maybe he'd go back later, but surely he could rest for a few more hours, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will definitely be more minsung-filled, but i wanted to introduce the other skz members asap! if you have any questions so far, please let me know. feedback is always appreciated! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i have no excuse for disappearing for like 4 months please just enjoy this chapter

Jisung's plan of staying a few more hours ended up turning into a few more days. Two weeks, to be exact.

In all honesty, he didn't mean for it to happen. Believe it or not, time kind of flies when you're a dog.

After Minho returned back from work the first day of Jisung's stay, he plopped down next to Jisung on the couch and let out the longest sigh Jisung had ever heard a human make. Minho sunk into the cushions of the couch, eyes heavily lidded as he stared at the television. The nature documentary he had put on for Jisung turned out to be a series, and Jisung had thoroughly enjoyed learning about the wonders of the animal kingdom. After sitting unsettlingly still for a couple minutes, Minho suddenly jerked his head in Jisung's direction as if just remembering the beagle existed.

"Are you still alive?" Minho asked, and Jisung tilted his head in response to the question. A small smile played on Minho's lips, eyes still drooping with exhaustion, and the man reached out to pet Jisung's little body. "You know, I'm more of a cat person, but I could get used to this. Coming home to a little friend."

Jisung couldn't remember the last time someone had called him a friend. Chan and Changbin mostly referred to him as a brother, and the other supers in SKZ never outwardly labeled each other as friends. Jisung barely interacted with anyone outside of SKZ, and definitely never to the point of anyone being able to deem him a friend.

Minho didn't know him at all, and probably never would, but Jisung guessed there was something about assuming the form of a little dog that made him quickly lovable. He closed his eyes as Minho scratched gently behind his ear, the pain in his abdomen fully subsiding as he allowed himself to fully relax into the touch. Minho gave a small chuckle and cooed soft compliments at Jisung that were soothing to the superhero's ears.

As much as Minho could get used to "come home to a little friend", Jisung could get used to actually having a friend.

There wasn't really a moment when Jisung decided that he wouldn't attempt to leave Minho's condo - it just kind of happened. Somewhere in between cooked sausage and tummy rubs and surprisingly thrilling nature documentaries, Jisung settled into Minho's rhythm without even realizing it. He knew the man left for work at around noon and that the job involved numbers and math, probably something along the lines of accounting. He also knew that Minho wasn't very good at it; he constantly complained about the headaches he got from thinking too hard and always proceeded to down an alarming amount of Ibuprofen. Jisung knew that Minho enjoyed cooking for himself even if he wasn't the best at it, and once Minho realized Jisung had a taste for human food, he increased the serving sizes of the meals he made just to accommodate his guest.

The pain in Jisung's abdomen never really ceased; since Jisung wasn't allowed to shift back into human form, he couldn't properly heal. Because of this, Minho was delicate in handling Jisung's little dog form. Whenever Minho took him outside to do his business, the man carried him with as much support as he could and made sure to give several apology pets when he jostled Jisung in the wrong way. One night, Jisung's pain was so unbearable that he whined into the silent house until Minho came into the living room and curled up next to him on the couch, holding Jisung's beagle body against his chest throughout the rest of his sleep. For some reason, the ache in his stomach was replaced with an ache in his heart.

A week into Jisung's stay with Minho, an old couple showed up at Minho's door in response to the Facebook post he had made relaying information about Jisung. Minho almost let them leave with the dog, even going as far as leashing him until Jisung barked with all his might. Not only was Minho startled, but the old people decided that Jisung's bark didn't match their missing dog and finally left the house.

When the two found themselves watching reality television later that night with Jisung curled up in Minho's lap, Minho let out a sudden gasp, grabbing Jisung's attention.

"I think you're a stray," Minho declared, eyes washing over Jisung's body as if he was examining him. "I mean, you didn't have a collar and no one has come looking for you yet. I thought maybe you seemed too healthy to be a stray, but that may explain why you're in so much pain constantly." 

Minho's moment of realization was almost ironic to Jisung; after all, Jisung was a member of a group of superheros that had originally been named "Stray Kids". Technically, he had a home, but after being away from it for a week, he was beginning to realize it had never really felt like a home at all. Nothing about the rundown shack the government had shoved his family into felt like it was a place where he was safe, a place where he was meant to be. Chan and Changbin made his life bearable, but even their love couldn't fill the hole that had slowly but surely burned into his heart. The SKZ base was as close to a physical home he could get, but even then, the monotonous walls and stale smell never truly let him be comfortable.

Jisung never truly felt like he "belonged" anywhere.

He began to wonder if anyone was missing him. His disappearance couldn't have gone unnoticed among his classmates and teachers, but did they _miss_ him? Or was he just one of those kids whose existence is only acknowledged during attendance? He knew there was no mother or father agonizing over his disappearance; after all, they had vanished from his own life a couple years ago. 

For a brief second, Jisung even questioned if his own members missed him. The one thing that was preventing him from fully giving into a life away from his superhero duties was his group, and a twinge of guilt caused his ears to droop slightly. If they were out there looking for him, he wasn't sure how much longer he could live with himself if he was causing them distress or pain. However, a small, gnawing part of him deep, deep down inside of was doubting them. Maybe he hadn't made much of an effort to be a better friend, and because of that, they were fine with him being gone. They didn't particularly _need_ him - they would be definitely be strong enough as seven. It was a terrible, terrible thought, but for a fleeting moment, Jisung wasn't convinced that anyone was truthfully searching for him.

Maybe it was okay that he was gone. 

Jisung's change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Minho, whose hand was suddenly playing with one of his floppy ears.

"I'll be honest, Mr. Beagle..." If Jisung could afford to laugh, he would've in the moment. Mr. Beagle was the name Minho had given him since he didn't know his real one. "I didn't want you to leave with that old couple. If you have owners, then sure, you deserve to go back with them. But I really wouldn't mind if you stayed with me."

Jisung wanted to cry. Minho didn't know who he really was, and he never could for the sake of Jisung's cover and safety, but Jisung wanted to suddenly poor all of his emotions out onto the man. He wanted to sob in Minho's arms, confess that he was a superhero who didn't want his powers anymore, share his insecurities in himself and his relationships. He wanted to finally heal and be able to talk to Minho, make the man laugh beyond funny dog gestures. At the same time, he wanted to continue being a dog if it meant he could keep Minho company and provide the man with a slice of happiness. 

Jisung could tell Minho was lonely. He could tell from the lack of texts and calls he got and the absence of any visitors outside of the old couple that had showed up. Minho barely left the house aside from leaving for a job, so it wasn't like he was meeting up with people left and right. As far as Jisung knew, the beagle was the only presence Minho had had in his life in a long time. Because of this, Jisung found it harder and harder to want to leave the man. 

Minho had already done so much for Jisung in the one week of having him that it was easy for Jisung to stay another week in his presence. It was so, so easy to remain on that couch, be fed meals that varied in quality, and unwind with Minho after the man had a stressful day of work. It felt almost too good to be true when Minho scratched the spot behind Jisung's ears that the super was so fond of and gently rested a blanket over Jisung's body before the two parted ways at night.

If it was up to Jisung, he wouldn't mind staying many, many more weeks with Minho.

\-----

However, even though two weeks didn't seem like much time in Jisung's world, it felt like an eternity for the rest of SKZ.

Chan refused to take on anymore missions until Shifter's whereabouts were located. Unfortunately, the younger supers aside from Changbin were getting restless at the inability to use their powers. While Oceanic, Sunspot, Invisiboy, and Thunderbolt had school to keep them somewhat busy, Changbin could only remain at the base and torment himself trying to locate Jisung. He was unable to escape the stressful environment and wane his mind off of the glaring truth that one of his best friends was missing. 

Woojin aided Chan in his search attempts, helping the leader search through hours of security footage of surrounding streets and go through police databases to see if a super had been taken into custody in the past few days. Still, despite all the concentrated efforts, Jisung still could not be located, and it was driving Chan crazy.

Since he was older than Chan, Woojin had enough authority over the other super to pry him away from screens from time to time. He insisted that Chan got some fresh air from time to time and made sure he ate properly, even if Chan didn't feel like eating. Invisiboy popped in as often as he could to put a smile on Chan's face, even if it was obvious that the younger super wasn't exactly in the best state of mind either. Sunspot and Oceanic also kept Chan company on the days when he felt like burrowing away from everyone and wallowing in his own sorrow. 

With all the members working their hardest to find Jisung, Chan still kept hope that he would turn up, despite it being 14 days since the last time any of SKZ spotted their missing member.

It seemed like just another day of Woojin attempting to drag Chan away from the large computer screen when suddenly, the screen lit up with huge, bold letters reading "EMERGENCY CALL". Sirens in the base, whose existences had been forgotten, began sounding and an automated voice repeatedly announced that there was an emergency call. The lights in the room dimmed until the main source of light came from the flashing computer screen. The members of SKZ who went to school were gone, but Changbin frantically busted out of his room with bulging eyes.

It had been ages since the last time someone had utilized the emergency call feature to the base. Very few people knew about its existence outside of adult supers, and even then, no one suspected that an underground group of supers were operating from it. In all the years SKZ had used the base, not a single emergency call had been sent their way. 

Chan didn't know what to do, and it took Woojin reaching over his shoulder and clicking accept for him to snap into action and be prepared for what was coming. 

It took a sentence for the call to connect, but the three supers in attendance were soon greeted with the tear-drenched face of a hyperventilating super. Woojin let out a soft gasp at the screen in front of him.

"Daehwi," Chan breathed out, jaw dropping at the sight of his old friend. 

Chan had met Lee Daehwi through a supers' support group. It was a program the government sponsored to try to make supers feel like their identities weren't fully taken away from them and allowed them to connect with others who were going through the same struggles. Daehwi had been one of the original members Chan had considered for SKZ. He knew about the base, which is probably how he knew to send a distress call. However, after the younger boy politely turned Chan down, the two slowly distanced from each other as Chan began his vigilante career. 

Now, Chan was being reunited with his younger friend, but he couldn't savor the moment because Daehwi choked out a sob, tearing into the stunned silence of the room.

"Chan," he cried, finding a voice in between his tears.

"Daehwi, please, what's wrong?"

Daehwi wiped a tear, inhaling shakily. "Someone... someone took my powers. I don't know who and I don't know how it happened but-" Daehwi broke off again as another sob wretched through his body. "Oh my god, Chan, someone broke in and he took my powers. He took them!"

Woojin brought a hand to his mouth. Changbin narrowed his eyebrows, rubbing his lip between his teeth in worry. Neither of them wanted to speak.

"Someone took your powers? What? How?" Chan scrunched his face up, trying to understand the situation. "Daehwi, please breathe."

After allowing a few seconds to gather himself, Daehwi spoke up again. "I don't know," he sniffled. "I was doing homework and then the window next to my bed broke." He gestured to the shattered window that was visible behind him. "I barely had time to react before someone was grabbing my head. I felt so dizzy and so tired and the next thing I know, someone is laughing." It looked like a shiver ran through his body. "And then he spoke. I know it's a he from the voice. He told me I wasn't his first and I wouldn't be his last. And then he left. I was so confused by what he meant and then I realized. I tried... I tried moving something, y'know, with my mind, and it didn't work." Tears welled back up in his eyes. "I couldn't do it. Then I knew what he did."

"How would he find you, though? How did he know?" Chan asked.

Daehwi shrugged and shook his head, wiping more tears away from his face. "Probably in some database. That must be how he found the others, if I wasn't his first."

"Daehwi, I-" Chan began, but couldn't seem to find words. He let out a frustrated groan. "We're gonna figure this out. The team and I, we're gonna help you. We're gonna help anyone else who has had this happen to them."

Chan felt Woojin nod next to him and Changbin leaned in closer to the screen. "There's no one who would be after you for any reason, right? No one who would want to harm you?" Changbin inquired.

"Not that I know of," Daehwi sighed, wrapping his arms around himself. "I seriously have no idea who he was. I barely saw him... it was like he was just a shadow hovering over me. My only knowledge is that it's probably a man."

"That's a good enough start, Dae," Chan comforted. He ran a stressed hand through his black curls. "Do you want to come to the base? Stay with us for a little while? Just to be safe."

"Thank you, but no," Daehwi declined, a smile gracing his face for the first time during the call. "My mom needs me right now. We need each other. But I have faith in you, Chan. I couldn't think of anyone else to ask for help. I'm willing to assist you if you ever need it, but I'm not sure how much I can do considering..." He trailed off and bit his bottom lip.

"We'll get your powers back," Chan assured. "I don't know how, and I don't know when, but I do know we have to stop whoever this is." He glanced at Changbin. "Before he gets one of us."

"I hope that doesn't happen," Daehwi whimpered. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again with another smile on his face. "Thank you for easing my mind, though. I'm not sure what's going to happen to me or my mom next, but I'm so glad you are backing us up. Seriously. It means the world to me."

It looked like it was Chan's turn to cry. "Anything for you," he whispered, and then Daehwi was waving goodbye and shutting off the call before any further comments could be made.

The three supers sat in silence for a little while until Changbin broke it.

"This is just great. Add this to the pile of our problems."

Chan scoffed. "The world hates us. I mean, someone that can take a super's powers? You've got to be kidding me. I can't believe I haven't heard about this if it's happened before. Shouldn't the media be all over this? I mean, it seems like we've got a new supervillain on our hands."

"Why would they?" Changbin grumbled. "People couldn't give two shits about crimes against supers, especially not one like this. The government is probably overjoyed someone can take our powers."

"Well, he's not taking ours," Chan declared, rising from his seat. "Night, I want you to pull the boys out of school. We need them to know about this now and we need to devise a plan."

"Wait, we're acting on this now? We have no idea what we're up against yet!"

"It's better to be prepared early. The sooner everyone knows about it, the sooner we can have all hands on deck working on this case."

"But what about Jis-Shifter? What happened to finding him?"

Chan narrowed his eyebrows. "If we let whoever is doing this continue to take powers, more and more supers may end up in Jisung's state, including one of us. We can continue to search for him, and you know I want to, but I think we need to focus on something else."

"No, no, we _need_ to find Shifter first. He's family, C.B. Haven't you been aching to find him the past two weeks? That's all you've been doing!"

"Daehwi's family to me, too. You all are family to me. I can't let something like this happen to any of you."

"But we are dealing with a missing person and I just feel like our attenti-"

"Who else is going to help Daehwi, huh? Who else is going to help us or the rest of the supers out there? You said it yourself, the government couldn't care less if we lose our powers. It'd be a blessing to them! I know you're sick with worry over Shifter, and trust me, I am too. You know I am. But I also know that he is out there somewhere, and for now that might just have to be enough comfort for me because the fate of all the supers in Seoul-hell, all the supers in the _world_ lays in our hands!" Chan's chest was heaving after his outburst. Changbin was stunned, not knowing how to respond. Chan turned to the man who had been silent for the past few minutes. "Are you with me, Woojin?"

Woojin was silent, staring at Chan with an unreadable expression. Finally, he spoke, "Chan. Your name is Chan."

Chan's mouth parted in a silent gasp. He hadn't even realized that Daehwi had said his name and that Woojin hadn't known it before.

"Shit. Yeah, yeah. My name's Chan." Chan offered an awkward smile, and before he knew it, Woojin was beaming and pulling him into a hug.

"Oh my god, you have no idea how long I've wanted to know your name!" Woojin was absolutely overjoyed as he rocked with Chan back and forth, and Chan found himself sporting a genuine grin as he allowed himself to be gripped with all of Woojin's might.

When Woojin pulled away, he glanced to Changbin, who looked conflicted. 

For some reason, Changbin also began to smile. "I'm Changbin. Not as cool as Night Warrior, but... yeah."

Woojin looked like he would explode if he smiled any bigger. "Well, Changbin, I'm Woojin. But you knew that."

The tension that had grown in the room after the small argument between Changbin and Chan had suddenly dissolved with Woojin's million watt smile. However, Chan had to recompose himself and took a shaky breath in.

"Guys," he began. "We need to find whoever is out to get all supers and-" He placed a hand on Changbin's shoulder. "We really, really need to find Shifter."

 

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't introduced every member's name/power but ill list them here so u can come back if u ever get confused or lost and as kind of a teaser for future content i guess:
> 
> chan: C.B. (super strength, can communicate to the members through his mind)  
> woojin: no super name, but he has healing abilities  
> changbin: Night Warrior (can manipulate light, strongest at night, has a sword)  
> hyunjin: Sunspot (can conjure fire, attacks with fire, basically his power is Fire)  
> jisung: Shifter (can shapeshift, stretch, etc)  
> felix: Thunderbolt (bc he works w lightning and he's super fast, hence the "bolt")  
> seungmin: Oceanic (same stuff as hyunjin but with water instead)  
> jeongin: Invisiboy (u guessed it.. he can turn invisible)
> 
> thank u for reading! hope u get excited for this fanfic to officially Kick Off


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